Australia New Zealand Surgical Respirator Masks Market

Surgical and respirator masks are among the most common medical devices used across the healthcare industry. These simple devices constitute a powerful physical barrier against microbes and thus protect healthcare dispensers or medical researchers from infections. In some cases, such as in dentistry, surgical and respirator masks market also allow the wearer to work without being bothered by disagreeable smells.

Australia and New Zealand, being stable economies and having two of the most sophisticated healthcare systems around the world, have a massive market for surgical and respirator masks. The strong rise of the medical tech market in Asia Pacific is expected to result in a favorable outcome for the Australia and New Zealand su rgical and respirator masks market, which will grow at a 3.3% CAGR from 2015 to 2021 according to Persistence Market Research.

The Australia and New Zealand market for surgical and respirator masks, worth close to US$135 million in 2014, consists of fluid/splash-resistant surgical masks,anti-fog foam surgical masks, basic surgical masks, standard respirator masks, and particulate respirator masks. Of these, fluid/splash-resistant surgical masks accounted for more than 42% of the overall market, due to their superior barrier properties and high convenience compared to other categories. The two subcategories of fluid/splash-resistant surgical masks are standard fluid-resistant masks and face-shield fluid-resistant masks.

According to the end users of surgical or respirator masks, the Australia and New Zealand market is categorized into general physicians, acute care in hospitals, independent dentistry practices, veterinarians, and life science researchers. Of these, hospitals dominated demand from the surgical and respirator masks market. The segment is expected to grow at a 3.2% CAGR in the aforementioned forecast period and claim a share of 45% in the total market by the end of it.Incidentally, hospitals are also the dominant sales channel for surgical and respirator masks, accounting for more than 43% of all surgical and respirator masks sold in Australia and New Zealand.

Due to the widespread presence of advanced medical facilities in Australia and New Zealand, the surgical and respirator masks market is close to saturation in the region. Despite the growing number of surgeries, the existing volume of the surgical and respirator masks market has largely proven to be sufficient to meet the demand, with the usage of reusable surgical and respirator masks cancelling out the demand for new purchases.

In this scenario, increasing product innovation could help the market gain new demand channels. Development of new surgical masks that are more convenient for the physician while operating – such as a transparent surgical masks, which allow doctors and nurses to communicate more freely – will help the Australia and New Zealand market for surgical and respirator masks. Other innovations to make the mask sturdier, lighter, and to increase the precision of its selective permeability so as to keep out pathogens while allowing smooth circulation of air will also help boost the market.